Chapter 55

Archer POV

Archer swirls the amber liquid in the bottom of his cup.

They’ve been at the club for under an hour and he’s already bored. Beau’s got a whole flock of women at his side, pressing their long nails into his shirt. A few tried to come speak to Archer but were deterred by Wyatt’s aggressive behavior.

Archer rolls his eyes and tosses back the rest of his liquid. He leans across the table and refills his glass with bourbon. He sniffs it before taking a gulp. It burns down his throat.

The club smells musky. The combination of old boxes, old books and older booze is mixing together in the air into the pungent smell of dust. It burns his nostrils along with the pounds of cologne the men around him are wearing.

He hates the club.

He doesn’t know why he lets Beau drag him to the Ledger House. Truthfully, many of his dad’s associates have said it’s gone down in years. Archer feels like he can see the decline happening in front of him. What used to be a prestigious social club for the elite to congregate in is now becoming a whore house.

Several scantily clad women are draped across men in compromising positions. Their tongues are shoved down the men’s throats. Archer recognizes one as his father’s former assistant.

Disgusting dickwad.

He takes another sip of his drink and lets his mind wander. A woman is standing at the bar, clearly waiting to be picked up by a guy. Her hair is long and blonde. Her eyes aren’t the same brown as her’s but they’ll do just fine. He pictures her, arching in pleasure, eyes fluttering slightly. He hears her say his name into his ears and –

Someone kicks his shin under the table. He grunts in pain then looks towards the offender. His twin brother is glaring at him. The two girls next to him are identical and wearing identical looks of disgust. They both glare at Beau before getting up and walking away.

“Ladies!” he shouts after them. “Come on. I’m still fun!”

Archer wipes a hand down his face. “Tell me you weren’t trying to get me have an orgy.”

Beau crinkles his nose. “Ew, no,” he says. “But Estafania said she’d only come back if she could bring her sister who has a crush on you. Now there’s no ladies for either of us.”

“You’re horrible,” Archer rolls his eyes. He takes another swig of his drink.

“And you were in la-la land,” Wyatt says. He raises an eyebrow. “Thinking of the bitchy Nanny again?”

Archer glares at Beau.

“You told him!?”

Beau simple shrugs and finishes his own glass. “

“I wanted his insight on her.”

“So you told him the very confidential problem I came to you with?”

“You’ve got a crush, Arch. It’s not like they gave you codes to the nukes. Don’t be so dramatic.”

“My Gods, Beau,” Archer hisses. “This is why no one tells you shit. You’ve got the biggest mouth in the territory.”

“Also the best,” Beau says before setting his glass down. Archer still glares at him. Beau ignores it and waves his hand. “Go on then. Tell us about your Nanny fantasies.”

“There are no fantasies,” Archer grits out. “Because I don’t want to fuck her. She’s disgusting.”

He feels a pit widen in his stomach as he says it. He truly doesn’t find Chloe disgusting. In his heart of hearts, he finds her beautiful, ambitious and kind. But he thinks if he lies outside of his own brain, maybe he’ll start to think it’s real.

Beau, however, doesn’t seem to believe any of it. He snorts wildly and takes another sip of his cup.

“Brother,” he starts. “Don’t lie to me.”

“I’m not,” Archer says.

“That look in your eyes says otherwise. Did something else happen?”

Archer’s throat feels tight as he thinks about their kiss. He shakes his head.

“No. Just the normal.”

Beau raises an eyebrow. “Which is?”

“She’s a conniving bitch.”

“She’s not a conniving bitch,” Beau drawls. “She’s a little country bumpkin who’s mommy got lucky because some high up asshole thought she was pretty.”

“That high up asshole is my dad,” Wyatt snaps. Archer can’t help but roll his eyes. Wyatt glares at him. “Isaac Jones is still in the Alpha Cabinet. Incubus for a wife or not.”

“You think she pulled some dark voodoo on Pops?” Beau says.

“Had to,” Wyatt says. “He was so happy with my mom. Then next thing you know—” He snaps his fingers. “Some dumb bitch from Greendale with an asshole kid is living with us.”

“Asshole kid with a great ass,” Beau mumbles into his drink. Wyatt gives him a dirty look. Beau simply shrugs.

“There’s no way he willingly fell for Camilla,” Wyatt continues. “Not when my mom exists. There’s definitely something fishy going on.”

“And what do you suggest we do about it?” Beau muses.

Wyatt looks at him with a fire in his eyes. “We bring down Chloe,” he says. “Work her down so much she has no choice but to give up her mom.”

“Is that even possible?” Beau says. “She’s got some resolve.”

Wyatt’s lips stretch into a malicious grin. “It is. I know things about her that no one else does. I know what makes her crumble down. And now we know her biggest dream. It should be no problem to break her down to a sniveling mess.”

“Sounds fun,” Beau drawls. He turns to Archer and tips his chin up. “You in Arch?”

The cogs inside Archer’s brain are working in over time trying to process the request. He’s still having trouble making sense of what he feels for Chloe. Their kiss was like nothing he’s ever experienced before. Every single bit of his body felt on fire when he was pressed against hers. No other woman has been able to make him feel like that.

But Chloe is just so… drab. Never mind the absurd dreams she has of becoming a warrior, she’s quite plain. She has no sense of high society and wears those damned boots around all the time. By all accounts, she is not his type.

But then why does he feel the way he does about her?

He looks up and sees Beau is still starring at him. He takes one final swig of his drink and puts the empty glass down on the table. He raises an eyebrow at the other men.

“I’m in,” he says.